Shell-blank for playing-balls.



No 700,656. Patented May 20,1902.

' E. KEMPSHALL.

SHELL BLANK FUR PLAYING BALLS.

(Application filed Mar. 19, 1902.)

(No Model.)

fizven far:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KEMPSI-IALL MANUFAOTURIN G COMPANY,

JERSEY.

A CORPORATION OF NEW SHELL-BLANK FOR PLAYING-BALLS.

fifECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 700,656, dated May 20, 1902.

Application filed March 19, 1902. Serial No. 98,976. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELEAZERKKEMPSHALL, a citizen of the United States, residing in Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shell Blanks for Playing-Balls, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shell-blanks for playing-balls, especially those used in the game of golf; and its object is to improve the stanohness and other qualities of the blanks or shells. The blank I prefer to make of celluloid, which line with fabric, thereby enabling the shell to be thoroughly cemented to the core of the ball, the fabric being embedded in the celluloid and adhering to the core.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a disk of compound material used in forming a half-shell. Fig. 2 shows a sheet from which the Fig. 1 device may be out. Fig. 3 shows material having two plies of fabric and two of celluloid. Fig. 4 shows one stage in cupping the material to form a half-shell. Fig. 5 is a perspective of the device formed by the Fig. 4 operation. Fig. 6 shows a completed half shell or blank, and Fig. 7 shows how blanks made accordinglto my invention may be applied to a golfbal t In the several views similar parts are designated by similar characters of reference.

To a sheet of cellnloid'l-I apply a sheet of fabric 2, preferably having an open mesh, and these sheets I subject to heat and great pressure, the pressure being maintained until the shell hardens and the fabric becoming embedded in the celluloid, so that it is difficult or impossible to separate them. From this material I cut a disk A, Fig. 1, which I cup by means of a rounded plungerdie 3 and a corresponding cup-die 4, the celluloid being first heated and rendered soft or plastic, thus facilitating the forming action of the dies, and the plunger 3 and the die 4 being brought together with great force, so as to still further solidify and sea son the material. The pressure is maintained until the celluloid of the cup cools and hal-dens. The cup produced by this process is indicated by B, Figs. 4 and 5. From this article I cut off the surplus material, thus forming a substantially hemispherical fabriclined shell-blank, as at 0, Fig. 6. I then cement a pair of these hal f-blan ks upon a spherical filling 5, Fig. 7, and subject the whole to heat and compression, so as to weld the edges of the half-blanks together at D, Fig. 7, and also to place the core 5 under compression. The compression of the dies 6 and 7 upon the ball is maintained until the shell cools and hardens, so that when taken out of the dies the shell is enabled to retain its shape and hold the core permanently under compression. Usually the celluloid shrinks after the ball is completed, whereby the core is more firmly gripped by the shell.

I Instead of the Fig. 2 material that used at Fig. 3 may be employed, having two plies of celluloid 1 and 8, an intervening ply of fabric 9, and thelining fabric 10, and, if desired, additional plies of celluloid and fabric may be used, and the thickness of the shell may be varied according to the character of the ball.

By lining the celluloid with fabric the comenting of the shell to the core 5 is facilitated. The fabric, by reason of its being embedded in the celluloid and practically inseparable therefrom, holds the latter firmly to the core, so that when the ball is distorted by a severe blow from the implement disruption of the shell from the core is prevented, and hence the life of theball is greatly prolonged. The welding of the shell atD enables the latter to hold the core under compression, while the fabric toughens the shell and prevents too sharp indentation thereof when struck by a blow, and hence saves the shell from fracture.

In using the term celluloid I mean to include all materials of the pyroxylin class. Plastic material other than celluloid or pyroxylin may be employed within the scope of my invention.

Having described my invention, I claim-- 1. A partial shell for a playing-ball, comprising a layer of plastic material lined with fabric.

2. A half-shell for a playing-ball, comprising layers of plastic material and layers of fabric in alternation, one of said fabric layers forming a lining for the half-shell.

3. A partial shell for a playing-ball, consisting of celluloid in which fabric is embedded..

4. A hemispherical shell-blank consisting of celluloid having a lining of fabric.

5. A hemispherical shell-blank consisting of plies of celluloid and plies of fabric, one of said fabric plies forming a lining for the shell, and all of said plies being compacted together.

6. A process in forming a shell-blank, consistingin compacting together under heat and pressure a ply of fabric and a ply of celluloid, maintaining the pressure until the celluloid cools and hardens, cupping the material under heat andpressure, and maintaining the pressure until the celluloid cools and hardens.

7. A process in forming a shell-blank, consisting in compacting together under heat and pressure a ply of fabric and a ply of celluloid, maintaining the pressure until the celluloid cools and hardeus, cupping the material under heat and pressure, maintaining the pressure until the celluloid cools and hardens, and trimming 01f the surplus material.

8. A process in producing a playing-ball, consistingiu compacting under heat and pressure plies of celluloid and alternate plies of fahric,maintaining the pressure until the celluloid cools and hardens, cupping the mate rial under heat'and pressure, and maintaining the pressure until the celluloid rehardens.

9. A process in forming a partial shell for alternate plies of fabric, and maintaining the a pressure until the shell hardens.

12. A process in forming shell-blanks for playing-balls, consisting in cupping plies of fabric and plastic material under heat and pressure so that the fabric forms a lining for the cup, and maintaining the pressure until the plastic material hardens.

13. A process in forming shell-blanks for playing-balls, consisting in cupping plies of fabric and celluloid under heat and pressure so that the fabric forms a lining for the cup, and maintaining the pressure until the celluloid hardens.

14. A process in forming hemispherical shell-blanks for playing-balls, consisting in cupping plies of fabric and celluloid under heat and pressure so that the fabric forms a lining for the cup, maintaining the pressure until the shell hardens, and trimming off the surplus material.

ELEAZER KEMPSHALL.

\Vitnesses B. O. STICKNEY, JOHN O. SEIFERT. 

